Someone There
by Rosesdancinginmymind
Summary: Can you do one when they come back from Neverland and where there all come off the ship Cora is there to welcome Regina home. - Regina fan


_Can you do one when they come back from Neverland and where there all come off the ship Cora is there to welcome Regina home. - Regina fan _

_Thank you for the prompt :) _

_I don't own Once or its characters. Apologies for any mistakes. I hope you like the story :)_

Regina sighs holding herself steady against the ship as they emerge from the portal. She watches as her son stands and chats with Emma. After their exchange below deck and the near miss with Pan he's been going from family member to family member. Oddly Regina doesn't mind. A few months ago she would have been plagued by jealousy wondering why her son never wanted to be with her and resenting the Charmings for being his favourites. Now after having worked with them over the past few weeks and bonding together to save Henry she finds that she feels like much more of a part of their family.

She still feels alienated at times especially when she had watched Emma with her parents but it's nowhere near as bad as it was several months before when it was her against all of them. In Neverland they had to stick together, she wonders if they'll still be on the same team once they hit Storybrooke.

At the moment she's bracing herself for disappointment. Last time she helped bring them all home they left her standing alone in Gold's shop feeling loneliness flood her aching heart. She fears the same happening again. _Henry loves me _she reminds herself as she watches everyone else on the ship. It's amazing how even in a crowd one can feel alone.

She sighs thinking about Storybrooke. No doubt there'll be a huge crowd to welcome the Charmings and Emma and Henry. She wonders if anyone will be there to welcome her. Her mother is in Storybrooke but she didn't even tell her she was leaving. There wasn't really time. Once Henry went through to Neverland she didn't think of anything but getting to her son.

It was only in the long nights of Neverland listening to the cries of Lost Boys that she thought about her mother. They may only have had a few weeks together before Greg and Tamara took her and then Henry but those weeks were enough to make Regina miss her while on that island. She wonders how her mother felt upon finding out she left. She imagines the anger and pain and a tear rolls down her cheek. She knows had Henry done the same it would have broken her heart.

_I wonder if she'll be there when we come back_ she thinks as the ship sails through the air.

She's not expecting anyone to be there to welcome her. She knows full well how the town feels about her. The glares and barely subtle whispers are enough to convince her. Not that she needed convincing.

Regina did save the town though. She defeated that trigger but she wonders if that would be enough. Nothing else has ever been. Even with Henry when she's done good things they've normally been outweighed by the bad. It's never been enough. She's expecting the same to be true today.

She did her best in Neverland. She doesn't really harbour any thoughts of evil or revenge against her former enemies anymore. All she wants is a chance to be happy and a family to support her. She thinks now this might be her second chance. They all saved Henry so surely they'll be more accepting of her role as his mother? Well at least she hopes so.

She knows there'll be a hero's welcome. The town welcoming back Snow, Charming, Emma and Henry with open arms and loud cheers whilst she gets pushed to the sidelines. The villains never get the cheers for their part in heroics.

She tells herself to expect nothing. Having no expectation might help diminish the pain of the inevitable rejection, loneliness and abandonment.

The ship lands as she expects to the sound of applause. She waits for the Charmings, then Emma and Henry exit the ship and into the arms of the town. She stands on the edge watching as they are greeted by hugs. She watches as they toast Hook.

She watches as Rumple is greeted by Belle who then pulls Neal in for a hug. _Everyone has someone_ she thinks with a small frown. She looks down watching from afar as her son is embraced and welcomed by the town. She smiles glad he has so many people who love him. He has more than she ever has. As much as it hurts that she's still on the outskirts her heart is soothed by the fact that her son has so many people looking out for him.

She blinks in surprise as she suddenly hears Snow says "It's all thanks to Regina"

She can't find anything to say in response to them hailing her as a hero. In the end she settles for smiling at the crowd, too stunned to find the words to say how happy the acceptance makes her. The smile grows with ease as they invite her to the Diner with them. _They want me_ she thinks knowing that this means she is a part of their family.

Still she scans the crowd looking for the one person she wants most to be there. She steps forward with a small frown wondering why she dared to hope.

That is until arms wrap around her and she feels tears drip onto her coat.

"Mama?" she asks as she reciprocates the hug wrapping her arms tightly around her mother's waist. _She's here_ she thinks with a smile letting her head drop onto her mother's shoulder.

"You're here" Cora says lifting her head tenderly brushing her hands over Regina's face, "Are you okay?" she asks looking over her daughter with concern.

Regina nods, her tearful smile blossoming on her face, "I'm fine. We saved Henry so I'm fine. You're here?"

"Of course I am" Cora replies. As soon as she heard the news about the ship coming in she ran to the docks praying her daughter was with them.

When she first heard that Regina had gone off to Neverland she couldn't believe it. Then she saw Belle sitting in the Diner and she knew it was true just by the woman's expression. Over the past few weeks she's gone through a myriad of emotions, anger that her daughter didn't tell her, terror that she would never see Regina again and despair that her daughter could be lost to her so soon. Mostly all she wanted was for Regina to return safe and sound.

And now she's here and they can continue their second chance. The thought that her chance to try and make it up to her daughter, her chance to actually be the mother she should have been, could have been taken from them both terrified her.

All she wants right now is to hold her daughter and never let go.

Right now Regina lets her because for once somewhere is there for her.

"I thought you'd be mad" Regina says quietly. "I didn't think anyone would be here for me."

Cora smiles sadly, "I was mad. A little but honestly all I wanted was for you to come home. I just wanted you back. And I promise I'm always going to be here for you okay?"

Regina smiles, "Okay. I promise I won't go and disappear on you for several weeks."

Cora chuckles feeling the tears fill her eyes again. Having a heart makes the emotions come so much stronger but it's more than worth it when she feels the happiness at holding Regina in her arms again. "Don't" she says seriously, "I want us to have a second chance darling. I want to be your mother and the way it should have been. I'm here Regina, please just let me be here."

Regina nods revelling in the warm and easy embrace of her mother, the kind she wishes they had always had. She clings tight to her mother, "I can do that" she says knowing that finally having someone there is far better than anything she could have expected upon her return.

She has a son who loves her.

She feels accepted by the town and by the people she thinks of as her family and Emma who might even be her friend.

She has a mother. She has somewhere there who missed her, who wanted her to come back.

She's enough.

_Thanks for reading :)_


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